A programme to prevent child sexual abuse in the UK and Netherlands - originating in the US BASPCAN 9th Congress Edinburgh April 2015

1. Stop it
Now!
A programme to prevent child sexual abuse in the UK and
Netherlands – originating in the US

2. Talking to abusers: The role of
the Stop it Now! Helpline in
protecting children from online
abuse, UK & NL
Dr Caroline Paskell
NatCen Social Research, UK

3. 3
Subject and purpose of
presentation
 Subject
A public-health helpline to prevent child sexual abuse
Evidence from research in UK and NL, but focus on UK
Attention to helpline users who pose risk, esp. online
 Purpose
Discuss the role within broader prevention strategy
Identify relevance and opportunities for use elsewhere

4. Stop it Now! UK &
NL

5. 5
Stop it Now! UK and NL
 Public health approach to CSA
 Public awareness campaign,
helpline with target groups, and
referral to specific support
 UK: online monitoring software
specific provision to parents,
 UK established 2002, following
basis of Stop it Now! in USA
 Catalysed founding in 2012 of
Stop it Now! Netherlands

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Stop it Now! UK and NL helplines
 Purpose
Anonymous information, advice, support & guidance
Anyone concerned about child sexual abuse
Target groups include people concerned for a child, or
about another person’s behaviour or about themselves
 Delivery
First phase: telephone and email provision (Stop!/InHope)
Second phase: more specialised/therapeutic/psychological
Gateway to other services: LFF/de Waag & other agencies

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Profile of Stop! UK helpline
users
Table : Calls to the Helpline by caller group (includes calls and emails), 2013
Caller group Calls Callers
N % N %
Concerned about own behaviour 3,493 56% 1445 41%
Concerned about own behaviour (July-Sept 2014) . 59% . .
Concerned about child/young person'sbehaviour 273 4% 198 6%
Concerned a child may have been abused 236 4% 201 6%
Professionals 331 5% 303 9%
Survivorsof child sexual abuse 156 2% 124 4%
Other callers 357 6% 301 9%

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9. Overview of study

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Study aims and EU co-funding
 Aims
Inform and enhance efforts to tackle child sexual abuse
By investigating operation and impact of the Stop it Now!
helplines in UK and Netherlands
And devising a toolkit to support sim ilar provision elsewhere
 Funding
EU financial support for activities with a focus on justice
Daphne III programme aims to contribute to protection of
children, young people and women against violence

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Project partners
Lucy Faithfull Foundation
de Waag
The Prevention Project Dunkelfeld (Berlin)
Save the Children Finland

12. Achieved sample: UK
Number taking part in
interviews/focusgroups
Number completing
questionnaire
Adults concerned about behaviour 32 (all known: 29 online) 50
Other adults who can help prevent 14 19
Victims/survivors of CSA 0 4
Professionals 1 27
Reason for calling unknown N/A 12
Total 47 112
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 User feedback in UK: 32 interviews, 2 focus groups, 112 questionnaires
 User feedback in NL: 14 interviews/questionnaires + admin data on 254

13. Effects

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Theoretical framework
 Offenders & offences vary; risk of offending is dynamic; but:
Protectivefactorsthat may support desistencefromsexual offending
(de Vries Robbe et al, 2013).
Healthy sexual
interests
Constructive
social/professional
support network
Good problem
solving
Abstention from
drug/alcohol
misuse
Capacity for
emotional intimacy
and satisfying
relationships with
other adults
Capacity to set
goals and work
towards their
achievement
Engagement in
constructive and
rewarding
employment or
other activities
Hopeful, optimistic
and motivated
attitude to
desistence

15. Improved
wellbeing/ability
to self manage
Recognise
risky
behaviour
Belief in
ability to
change
Techniques
to manage
behaviour Changed
behaviour
/circumstanc
e
Reduced risk
Helpline
Other servicese.g.
•Inform, Inform Plus Securus
•GP, mental health specialist,
social services

16. Recognise risk
I'd co nvince d m yse lf that … the
picture s… I'd lo o ke d at, the re
was no victim
16

17. Belief in change
17
… the re is so m e o ne to talk to , to say,
'Rig ht, yo u kno w? The re are ste ps yo u
ne e d to do to addre ss the se de m o ns’ -
yo u kno w?

18. Techniques to manage behaviour
18
I'm no t saying I'm e ve r g o ing
to be cure d, but the
strate g ie s are in place to
sto p m e re o ffe nding no w.
I'm 22 and want to le arn to
co pe with m y se xualinte re st
in childre n so Iwillne ve r
harm the m .

19. Changed behaviour
Of the 32 people who answered this part of the questionnaire,
two thirds reported ‘they felt more able to manage their
sexual thoughts’ and ‘more able to manage their sexual
behaviour’ since using Stop!
19
• No access to pornography
• Reduce time online
• Displacement activity – gym, reading

20. Strengthen other protective factors
 Social networks
 Relationships
 Meaningful activity
20

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24. Public
promotion

25. Enabling helpline use: general
advertising
25
 Posters in public buildings such as GP surgeries
 Information where people can note it in private
 Billboards
 TV, radio and print media
 Raising profile of helpline among professionals

26. Enabling helpline use: posters
26

27. Enabling helpline use: media campaigns
27
TV adverts produced by Stop! NL and the
Prevention Project Dunkelfeld.

28. Google Adwords: Stop it Now!
Two adverts running against 129 keywords

29. Splash Pages and Warning Banners
Recogniserisk of
detection
Deter useof online
CSA images
Recognise
behaviour as
problematic
Engagewith
prevention services
Recognisesupport
availableto address
behaviour
29

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Splash Pages and Warning Banners
Splash Pages/Warning
Banners likely to be
most effective when:
Early
intervention
Capacity to
manage behaviour
High motivation to
desist
Statement about
illegality/ harm +
encouragement to
seek help

31. If you would like further information
please visit the website:
www.stopitnow-evaluation.co.uk
Or email
caroline.paskell@natcen.ac.uk
Thank you

32. Wider relevance

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Profile of Stop! UK helpline
users
Table : Calls to the Helpline by caller group (includes calls and emails), 2013
Caller group Calls Callers
N % N %
Concerned about own behaviour 3,493 56% 1445 41%
Concerned about own behaviour (July-Sept 2014) . 59% . .
Concerned about child/young person'sbehaviour 273 4% 198 6%
Concerned a child may have been abused 236 4% 201 6%
Professionals 331 5% 303 9%
Survivorsof child sexual abuse 156 2% 124 4%
Other callers 357 6% 301 9%

34. Profile of users who have offended
online

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Ongoing increase in users posing online
risk
 Report from Stop it Now! UK, 2014
 “In co m pariso n with the sam e
q uarte r last ye ar [July-Se pte m be r]
the num be r o f pe o ple co ntacting the
He lpline who have o ffe nde d o nline
incre ase d by 35% and tho se
co nce rne d that the ir Inte rne t use is
o ut o f co ntro lincre ase d by 46 % . ”
 Graph shows Num be r o f ne w calle rs
who we re co nce rne d abo ut the ir o wn
be havio ur, o ffline and o nline

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37. 37

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Toolkit
 A toolkit to assist people across Europe to develop helplines
which suit their specific national or local context has been
developed from the research.
 The toolkit does not set out a single model of operation, but
outlines key points to consider in developing a suitable helpline
for a particular nation, area or user group.
 Can be downloaded from www.stopitnow-evaluation.co.uk

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Overview
Step 1: Mapping the context
Step 2: Defining the aims and objectives
Step 3: Identifying the most suitable design
Step 4: Structuring the delivery
Step 5: Promoting the helpline
Step 6: Resourcing the helpline
Step 7: Monitoring and evaluating the helpline